Best Cell Phone Providers of 2019

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We spent over 60 hours researching dozens of cell phone service providers to find the best ones. Verizon Wireless is our top pick thanks to its strong network performance. It has the best coverage, reliability and speed of any carrier we evaluated. T-Mobile also fared well in our assessment. In particular, we are huge fans of its Unlimited 55+ plan, which offers discounted rates to seniors. T-Mobile’s prepaid subsidiary, Metro by T-Mobile, is our pick for the best value cell phone provider because of its great performance and budget-friendly prices.

Best Overall

Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless has the best network in the U.S. Its combination of great 4G coverage, reliability and speed make it the best phone carrier.

Verizon Wireless has a reputation for being the best wireless network in the U.S.

It scores higher on network coverage, reliability and speed than any other cellular network, according to multiple independent studies. However, it’s also among the most expensive. Across the board, Verizon’s prices are on the higher end of the spectrum. Its top-tier unlimited plans cost up to $90 per month for one person, and it doesn’t offer an individual budget plan. Whether or not the extra cost is worth the improved network depends on where you live.
Though we wouldn’t quite call it a budget plan, Verizon’s $60 individual plan is a decent mid-tier option. It gives you 5GB of data and lets you carry over unused gigs to the following billing cycle. Adding more data is a bit expensive at $15 per gigabyte, but it’s a good option if you don’t quite need an unlimited plan. The family plans with limited data follow the shared data bucket model, allowing two to five lines to split 2GB, 4GB or 8GB.

Metro by T-Mobile is a prepaid cellular provider that uses its parent company’s great high-speed network.

Its prices are lower, and it has more plan options than T-Mobile. The cheapest plan at Metro by T-Mobile costs $30 per month, and the price goes up $10 for each higher data tier. Technically, all the plans have unlimited data, but the two lowest-tier plans throttle your speeds after you use your 2GB or 10GB 4G LTE allotment. The most expensive plan costs $60 per month, and in addition to having unlimited data, it allows you to use 15GB on hotspot tethering and comes with Amazon Prime. If you don’t need that much hotspot data, you can save yourself $10 by signing up for the $50 unlimited plan, which only includes 5GB of hotspot data. Even on unlimited plans, it costs $30 to add each additional line, unless you happen to catch a promotional price.
We like that Metro includes its Music Unlimited feature with plans that cost $40 or more. Music Unlimited lets you stream music from over 40 services, including Pandora and Spotify, without deducting from your data allotment. This is particularly nice since you can’t add data mid-cycle. It can also help you stay under the unlimited plans’ 35GB high-speed data threshold.
However, its unlimited plans have a max video streaming resolution of 480p. DVD-quality streaming is fine and consumes less data than HD streaming, but it would be nice to have the higher-quality option, especially since phone screens now support high resolutions.
Because it is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) that runs on T-Mobile’s network, Metro customers sometimes experience data de-prioritization to direct T-Mobile customers. If a lot of people use data on T-Mobile’s network in the same place at the same time, Metro customers could see their speeds slow down. This wasn't a problem in tests conducted by Tom’s Guide, our sister site, but it is worth mentioning.

T-Mobile’s unlimited plans are a great value when compared side by side with similar offerings from Verizon Wireless and AT&T.

Its Unlimited 55+ plan gives customers ages 55 and older a discount on the T-Mobile ONE unlimited plan for up to two lines – instead of $130 for two lines, it costs $80 for the same service. Though this discount is restricted to two lines, only the primary account holder has to fit the 55+ requirement.
If you’re under 55, the T-Mobile ONE and ONE Plus plans are still solid unlimited-data options. T-Mobile’s network is one of the fastest in the country, and you can use up to 50GB of data before hitting the de-prioritization threshold.
On top of things you expect from an unlimited plan, such as unlimited talk, text and data, T-Mobile ONE adds extras like unlimited text and data use in more than 140 countries, in-flight texting and an hour of free in-flight Wi-Fi on Gogo-enabled flights. The $10 ONE Plus addition adds HD streaming, 10GB of 4G LTE hotspot tethering, unlimited Gogo flight data and visual voicemail.
T-Mobile doesn’t offer many limited-data plans. It offers cheaper, no credit check plans that include 10GB of data, but they come with some disadvantages, including activation fees, deposits, ineligibility for discounts and lack of customization options. The ONE plans don’t have these problems, though if you’re new to T-Mobile, you pay $25 for a SIM card.

US Mobile is an MVNO that lets you customize nearly every aspect of your plan, from the network down to the amount of talk, text and data.

It uses Verizon and T-Mobile networks, two of the best and fastest networks in the U.S. These networks span both types of cellular technologies used in the U.S., which is great if you want to bring your own phone to the service. Though it does offer unlimited plans, they’re expensive compared to other carriers. US Mobile’s value lies in its customization, you only pay for what you use. This approach can save usage-conscious customers a lot of money compared to an unlimited everything plan from a Big Four carrier. If, for example, you only want unlimited texting, it costs just $9 a month. You can also always add minutes, texts or data onto your account, should your needs change. The main drawbacks of US Mobile are that only one line per plan is allowed, and there aren’t any discounts available for families.

If you have a basic phone without data capabilities, Cricket Wireless’ inexpensive talk-and-text plan may be a good fit for you. It allows you to stay in touch via voice calls and text without paying extra for data service you don't want.

Cricket Wireless is a prepaid carrier that's owned and operated by AT&T, and it uses its parent company’s extensive cellular network. The prepaid provider offers five plans ranging from $25 to $60 per month: a talk-and-text-only plan, a 3GB plan, a 5GB plan and two unlimited-data plans. The talk-and-text plan, which offers unlimited minutes and texts but no data access, is the cheapest option. You can combine lines on different plans under the same account to fit your family’s needs. So, for example, a family of four could add two lines of Unlimited Extra, a line with 5GB of high-speed data and a talk-and-text line.
Cricket is generally a good value, with prices on a par with those of other carrier-owned prepaid services and much lower than the prices of similar plans on its parent network. Cricket offers group discounts and a $5-per-month autopay discount on plans starting at the $40 tier. The carrier often features new-customer promotions, such as discounted or free smartphones when you switch from another carrier.
The biggest downside of Cricket’s service is the data-speed caps. The Unlimited plan caps download speeds at 3 Mbps, while all other plans cap download speeds at 8 Mbps, up to the data allotment. But overall, Cricket is one of the best choices for plans with little or no data access.

Our goal is to help you find the best cell phone plan for the least amount of money. To that end, we spent over 60 hours researching service providers’ offerings and comparing them side by side.

All our data is collected from reliable sources, including the providers’ public information and studies by independent reporting agencies. We spoke with Doug King from RootMetrics and representatives from three of the Big Four mobile networks, including Allan Samson, the senior vice president of customer acquisition for Sprint.

How We Tested

We’ve kept track of the ever-changing landscape of cellular plans for 12 years. We started with a list of 45 companies and quickly narrowed it to 15 services based on the availability of unlimited data plans. We performed in-depth research into these 15 companies, judging their networks, plans and extras. As part of our research, we combed through the companies’ websites, read all the fine print, chatted with industry experts and referenced studies conducted by independent reporting agencies like Ookla, RootMetrics, OpenSignal, Consumer Reports, J.D. Power and our sister site Tom’s Guide.

The network is the most important part of your plan – all the data in the world won’t help you without a signal. As such, we weighted each carrier’s coverage, reliability and speed scores more heavily than other metrics.

Price is also an important factor. To embrace the full spectrum of the wireless providers’ offerings, we evaluated each one’s top-tier unlimited plan and cheapest budget plan. We compared plan prices for individuals and families and considered what you get for that price, noting things like high-speed data threshold and hotspot allowance. Finally, we looked at smaller things like the selection of phones you can buy from the provider, whether it lets you add a tablet or wearable to your plan, and how many lines you can add on a single plan.

How to Choose a Cell Phone Provider

There are dozens of cell phone providers to choose from, and with fierce competition, you’re spoiled for choice. We narrowed down our recommendations to widely available services that offer unlimited data plans, but there are a lot of great options that don’t fit these parameters, including Project Fi and Republic Wireless. A few others do fit within our parameters but didn’t make the cut, including CREDO Mobile, Page Plus Cellular, Wing Mobile, Ultra Mobile and Lycamobile.

PriceCell phone plan prices vary depending on the amount of data and number of lines you add. An individual line costs between $30 to $60 for a limited-data plan or $60-$90 for an unlimited plan with mobile hotspot tethering. Family plans with four lines can cost $150 to $220 for unlimited or $115 to $150 for limited-data. In many cases, however, family unlimited plans are a better value, as many carriers offer discounts for multiple lines.

Big Four Vs. MVNOVerizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and U.S. Cellular are the only providers that operate their own networks. These (excluding U.S. Cellular, which is a regional provider) are known as the Big Four. All other cell phone providers in the U.S. are Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). MVNOs use the network infrastructure of one of the Big Four carriers and piggyback on its service.

Big Four companies are more expensive but usually include more features and extras in their plans. For example, Verizon Wireless’s $90 unlimited plan includes 15GB of mobile hotspot tethering, while Page Plus Cellular, which uses Verizon’s network, doesn’t offer any mobile hotspot usage with its highest-tier plan. MVNOs tend to be prepaid services that cater to budget shoppers, offering cheaper plans and device options than the Big Four. Big Four direct customers get priority when networks are congested, whereas MVNO customers may see slower speeds.

Check Your AreaThough Verizon Wireless has the best-performing network across the U.S., it may not be the best option in every part of the country. When you shop for a new plan, you should first check which carriers perform well in your area.

Doug King, director of business development at RootMetrics, stressed the importance of looking beyond simple coverage, “Consumers need to understand not just how fast a network is in terms of uplink and downlinks, but it is critical to look at how reliable a network is based on its ability to initially connect and stay connected.” All carriers have their own coverage maps, but we recommend checking out RootMetrics and OpenSignal for insights like network reliability, speeds and call performance in your area.

Shop the FeaturesThe competition between cell phone providers is fierce, and services are constantly changing their plans and prices in attempts to one up each other – something comparison shoppers can take advantage of. Most providers have an unlimited data option now, but each company’s definition of “unlimited” is a little different.

Allan Samson, senior vice president of customer acquisition at Sprint, told us: “As all carriers have rushed back to the unlimited plan, I think it’s increasingly important to truly understand the service you’re getting. People should really evaluate, ‘How am I using my phone?’ If you’re streaming a lot of video, ask, ‘Am I getting the premier quality in terms of HD, and am I getting that consistent experience with all my stuff included?’”

Shopping for the features you use seems like obvious advice, but with so much hidden in fine print, it’s easy to miss the fact that all download speeds are limited to 6 Mbps on Cricket or that video streams at a max resolution of 480p on T-Mobile’s ONE plan and with Metro.

Do You Need Unlimited Data?

Every year, more people get smartphones, smartphones get smarter and, no surprise, we use more data. Most cell phone providers push their high-priced unlimited data plans, but most people don’t use enough data to necessitate the extra cost. In 2016, Ericsson published its annual Mobility Report, which found that North Americans use an average of 5.1GB of mobile data per month. Some use much more, but most people only need about 3 to 5 gigabytes, accounting for Wi-Fi use. To find out how much data you need, track your data usage for a few months using your online account through your carrier’s website. If you have a family plan, do this for everyone on the account, as some plans count your data in aggregate, while others count data per phone line. If you use less than 5GB per line on average, you can probably find a better deal that fits your needs.

If you often use your data plan to stream content, especially at high resolutions, you probably need an unlimited plan, as streaming applications are notorious data hogs. But if you only use slightly more data each month than your carrier’s next best data plan, you may be able to shave off that excess by turning off background app refresh, setting lesser-used applications to Wi-Fi only and using your default viewing and listening quality to conserve data. You can also turn off Wi-Fi assist for iPhones and background data usage for Android, use free public Wi-Fi and disable video autoplay on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Bringing Your Own Device

Since smartphones can cost well over $1,000, you may want to keep your device longer to get your money’s worth. Usually, you can keep your own phone even if you switch carriers, as most wireless companies allow you to bring your own device to a new plan. There are a few things that could impede this, however, including carrier-locked devices and different cellular technologies.

Some carrier-purchased smartphones have a software lock in place that prevents them from working with any other carrier. Factory unlocked phones do not have this problem, nor do many phones from Verizon. Your phone may have a lock if it was purchased through your carrier or if you chose a specific carrier when purchasing your phone from the manufacturer. To unlock your phone to use with a different carrier, you may need to wait a set amount of time after buying your device or pay off the device in full. Sprint automatically unlocks your phone after its time allotment, but AT&T requires a request. If your phone comes through a prepaid provider, it may be locked for a much longer timespan – possibly up to a year.

After unlocking your phone, make sure your device is compatible with the network you want to switch to. Within the U.S., there are two prevailing wireless technologies. Sprint, US Cellular and Verizon use CDMA, whereas AT&T, T-Mobile and pretty much the rest of the world use GSM. Some phone manufacturers build phones that support both CDMA and GSM networks, but others only have modems for one. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon have simple methods to check if your phone is compatible with their networks, and we recommend consulting them before switching.

Postpaid vs. Prepaid

Traditional cell phone plans operate on a postpay basis: You use your cellular service for the month and are billed for how many minutes and messages you racked up and how much data you used during the billing cycle. Prepaid plans, offered by carriers such as Metro by T-Mobile and Google Fi, have customers pay their bills prior to receiving service for the month. Some do this through prepaid service cards, while others operate online or through stores, similar to their postpaid counterparts. Both styles of cellular service have their strengths. For example, traditional service offers better deals and payment options for new phones. Also, postpaid plans tend to have extras or freebies, while prepaid plans rarely have perks. Postpaid customers’ service is also prioritized over prepaid customers’ during times of network congestion.

Still, prepaid plans can save you money compared to plans from the Big Four, and they give you the benefit of knowing exactly how much your phone service costs each month without bill-time surprises. Prepaid plans prevent any unexpected data overage charges. All of the Big Four carriers have their own prepaid plans, but they are usually more expensive compared to plans offered by network subsidiaries like Boost, Cricket or Metro by T-Mobile, which are owned by the network carriers (Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile, respectively). Mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs, also offer cheaper service by buying network service wholesale from the Big Four carriers.

Network Congestion & Data Deprioritization

Cellular networks all have a threshold for how much data they can handle at any given time. If there are too many people on the same network in the same place, it causes network congestion. You’ve probably experienced the effects of network congestion at huge events where your wireless service, particularly data, acted sluggish. Think of your data as a car merging onto a freeway; when the network is acting normally, there is little traffic, and the car can merge directly without slowing down. Congestion is like a traffic jam, where more people are trying to get the same amount of data through the network at the same time. Because there isn’t enough room for all the cars on the freeway at the same time, each has to wait in a queue for its turn to move forward.

In cases such as this, everyone’s data service is slow, but in times of lighter congestion, the cellular network has a hierarchy of whose service gets top priority. Generally, the network’s direct, postpaid customers get first dibs on data. A Verizon customer with a traditional plan who has not exceeded their high-speed data limit for the month has prioritized service over someone using Verizon’s prepaid MVNO service, a Verizon prepaid plan or a traditional Verizon plan that has exceeded its data limit for the month. If you are not on a postpaid plan with your network and experience quality of service issues often, it’s worth it to pay extra to have service priority when the network is congested or to switch to a network with fewer users in your area.

Scams & Robocalls

According to a report released by First Orion, fraudulent calls have increased drastically, from 3.7 percent of all calls in 2017 to almost 30 percent in 2018. Spam calls are projected to make up nearly 50 percent of all mobile traffic in the U.S. in 2019. Many of these calls appear to come from local numbers, a practice called "neighborhood spoofing" spammers use to trick you into thinking the call might be important. Often, these calls appear to come from legitimate phone numbers, which are temporarily hijacked. These spoofed numbers are also a large part of why many call blocking techniques are ineffective at stopping the onslaught of robocalls, as many call-blocking tools only prevent calls from known spam numbers. Adding your number to the Do Not Call List prevents certain legitimate telemarketers from contacting you but does little to deter illegal calls.

If you receive an illegal spam call, hang up. Don’t say anything, especially any personal information, since the call may be recorded. Don’t press a button to remove yourself from the list or to talk to a live person because these interactions encourage spammers to keep calling you. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai recently called phone providers to arms against robocallers, encouraging adoption of two authentication frameworks designed to catch spam calls before your phone rings. In an announcement on Nov. 8, T-Mobile declared itself fully prepared to implement these standards. Additionally, the carrier’s Scam ID and Scam Block features have already blocked over a billion scam calls for its customers.

The Future Is 5G

U.S. wireless carriers Verizon, AT&T and Sprint have announced plans for 5G rollouts. Each is vying for its own first: Verizon was the first to roll out 5G for home use in four cities and exclusively sells the Motorola Moto Z3, which was advertised as the first 5G-ready phone. Sprint teamed up with LG to announce the first true 5G phone, due in the first half of 2019, which doesn’t need additional hardware to connect to the new technology, unlike the Z3. AT&T aims to launch the first mobile 5G to consumers.

5G stands for the fifth generation of mobile wireless technology, and it promises faster speeds and lower latency. It works differently than 4G LTE, the current wireless standard, in that it’s faster but over shorter distances. This requires infrastructure in the form of new 5G cells, which the FCC recently protected against prohibitive upkeep fees. Mobile customers on 5G networks should see faster download times and overall better network performance, but the tech benefits more than just smartphones, including smart devices, self-driving cars and virtual reality. Of course, all of this doesn’t happen immediately. With 5G really starting in 2019, we can expect to see more developments over the next few years.